Scale insects on lemon tree

[More basil]

My lemon tree is infested with scale insects. I have tried washing it, bugclear ultra spray and squishing them off but they keep coming back, oozing honeydew. It is rather unappetising, particularly as I use the leaves as a herb. Someone suggested it will get better when it goes outside to the patio where it spends the summer- it is currently sitting in a light glass doorway. But is there then a risk of it infecting other plants? I is flowering and now seems in good health though it was loosing leaves when the attack started and before I started a warfare against the bugs

Any ideas gratefully received!

[WendyC]

I think you can paint them with meths. That of course will depend on how many there are and your time and patience! They really are horrible creatures.

[More basil]

Hmm, that's an idea, might be worth a try thank you. Do you know if I need to wash it off afterwards?

[WendyC]

Not sure can't find any reference to maths now. Hope I didn't imagine it. Perhaps it is for woolly aphid?

[Kirk]

My solution was best described as very inorganic.
I sprayed with Bugclear both on top and underneath until it dripped heavily everywhere.
Wait 2 weeks.
Repeated the process again.
After about a week I mixed up more Bugclear and watered the pot until all the compost was soaked and it seeped out the base.

Never had any since.

Would mean you cannot use the leaves for a while.

[muddled]

I tried to post this yesterday but it wouldn't let me...

WendyC is right.

I have had great success using meths for scale on my grapevine.
My vine is enormous and I cannot get to all of it but painted meths on what I could reach and the scale has all but disappeared.

You don't need to wash it off....it evaporates very quickly leaving a very slight greasiness that (I'm guessing) prevents the scale from reattaching.

Personally, I paint meths on once a year when the vine is dormant, purely because there is no lush growth in the way. It appears not to affect the fruit in any way.

[DannyK]

Meths is also good for mealybug and woolly aphids.

If left on plant leaves ok, but I'd wash well before using for cooking as I believe the methanol, which when pure is colourless, does have an additive to make it unpalatable.

You could try Provado systemic. You'd need to check label for safe period before using for cooking.

[More basil]

Brilliant, thank you all very much. I'll try the meths option and if that fails, the bug clear soak. The tree isn't that huge, so it will be quite satisfying spending a bit of time killing the little beasties, hee-hee.

[Kirk]

Danny's post has just reminded me, think it was Provado not Bugclear.
Cannot go look as the last of whatever was used to soak the compost.
But as I typed Bugclear I had slight doubts on the name.

Mine got clobbered by my treatment of the bush and the insects.
Basically reduced to one or two feeble branches.
Last insect atteck taken care of, and I can see the start of 3 new main branches appearing from the base so I may have a half reasonable bush again in a year or two.